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Tailoring The Mechanical And Optical Properties Of Silicon-Niobium-Nitride Composite Coatings, Cristian Orozco

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Nitride nanocomposite thin films have generated significant attention as a result of their robust mechanical properties, excellent triobology, and good chemical (corrosion) stability. Due to their excellent hardness and high wear resistance NbN coatings have found use in a wide variety of applications such as the coating of cutting tools and to strengthen the surface mechanical properties of superconducting cavities. The mechanical properties of NbN can be further improved through mixing with Si3N4, leading to the formation of a nanocomposite structure. NbN-Si3N4 nanocomposite coatings have been actively studied due to their high hardness, high elastic modulus, and high resistance to …